MagicAnimalClub: Happenings

29: Belonging

Joes POV

The happy couple walked outside, after about five minutes,
"What were you doing in there! You were there for ages!" James said, I looked at David and Nicole who snorted with laughter,
"Just cleaning the bathroom up." Nicole said,
"-More like cleaning the lipstick off Davids face." Beth added.
David walked over to Rosie and put his hands on her cheeks, she giggled,
"About time we went home, isn't it?"
"No!" The two kids cried,
"I know, I don't wanna go either, but next time we come back- which will be soon. We will be staying here forever!"
"But I want to stay here now!" James moaned.
"Come on let's get you in the car." Nicole said, lifting James up.
"No!" He cried. I gave Nicole a sympathetic look before lifting up James in my arms.
"Hey James?" I said, looking into his watery eyes,
"Yeh?"
"You and Rosie will have to show your dad around the house, you will have to show him your bedroom and his bedroom again, I bet he has forgotten it all!"
That made James a bit less upset.
"And then when you come back down here you'll have to show Beth and I around your new house!"
Now both of them were quite excited, David lifted Rosie, miming to me, thank you.

We lifted them into the car, I gave them both a big hug and Rosie gave me a kiss, with tears in their eyes they waved at us from the car.
I gave Nicole a big hug saying, "take care of that guy will you?"
"Course I will." She gave me a kiss on the cheek, I blushed slightly. "Thanks for everything, Joe."
"Not a problem, anytime. Look after those beauties." I looked at the children in the back seat, waving at us.
I then looked to David, I bit my lip, feeling the tears.
We had been through a lot.
And we would go through so much more.
Together.
We broke into a hug, a tight one, I realised that he was really hugging me, I noticed a tear fall from his face, but he wiped it away quickly.
"What was it again, life only happens once, enjoy this happening." He said to me.
"Take care of yourself mate." I said. Just before he turned away I put my hand on his shoulder and we hugged again.
"They would have loved to have been here." He said, snapping something in my heart strings.
"They would." I repeated.

Davids POV

In the car I tried to keep in my rebellious tears, if ever they tried to seep through my lashes, I would tilt my head slightly, which was not good for my sight and the water just went up to my eyes. At last I gave up and let them fall, Nicole looked at me, putting her hand on my shoulder.
"Hey, you want me to drive?" She offered,
"No.." I sighed, "no It's fine."
"Does daddy forget how to drive?" James asked from the back seat, I laughed,
"A little bit!" I replied, giving a laugh. This is what children are for! Keeping you happy when you're sad, most of the time it's unintentionally.
I drove on, the children fell asleep and after a couple of hours, Nicole fell asleep. I sat up, driving on my own. It was about six o'clock and although I was surrounded by my family, I felt somewhat alone.
I turned on the radio quietly, but turned it off as none of the radio stations seemed to have anything interesting on them.
I listened to the sound of the rumbling engine as my car journeyed on through the endless darkness in the sky where thick fog gathered at deep valleys in the road.
Soon it was pitch black, I had been driving for so long.
I recognised the sign that wrote York, then eventually Huddersfield.
Then..
I recalled all the places that I once called, home and my old school.
It hadn't been touched.
It looked almost deserted.
The school was dark and dishevelled, the swings still swung in the midst..
I turned into my house driveway.
I heard the welcoming crackle of the rocky concrete.
That's when I knew, I was home.

A smile grew on my face as I saw my house appear, and watched it come closer and enlarge into my sight.
I firstly opened the front door with my keys, everyone else was still asleep.
I turned on the lights.
It was as if nothing had changed.

I walked around, into the living room. There was still an Xbox, PlayStation and all my other consoles. I walked into the kitchen, it was painted better however it looked almost the same.
I went into Toms bedroom..
It hadn't been changed.
The wrinkles were still in his quilt from when he slept there so many years ago.
I wonder- I wonder if everyone knows that he's dead.
I sat down on the edge of his bed and thought about him, letting go of a few tears.
"Tom.. Tom if you hear me now." I took a deep breath, looking around his room,
"Tom I just want to say a few words."
"Every day I miss you, everyday something inside of me crushes and shatters when I know you aren't going to be here beside me."
"Tom I miss you."
"I'm sorry for anything I've said or done to hurt you.. I'm so so sorry. I don't understand why this cruel world took you away instead of me. It's not fair."
"Tom I.. I love you Tom."
I sat in tears, morning over my dead brother's untouched bedroom.
I decided to open a few more doors, and I found that the two children shared a bedroom. I walked back out to the car and lifted both Rosie and James quietly into their beds and tucked them in, kissing them goodnight.
I then struggled to lift Nicole out and lifted her up the stairs into our room where I lay down beside her, and fell fast asleep. This was my bedroom. This was home.